Unplugged Living

Sun Trap Solar-powered Handbag

by Kevin Humphrey on September 26th, 2005

Despite the prevailing scientific theory that light cannot escape from a black hole, a student at England’s Brunel University has been able to not only design a lady’s handbag that features internal illumination, but does so via solar power.

Rosanna Kilfidder is the designer behind the Sun Trap handbag, which uses a solar cell on the outside of the bag to suck up energy from the sun. Power is stored in an internal battery which then supplies juice to the lining of the bag, made from an electroluminescent material. The zipper of the bag acts as the switch, turning on the illumination when it’s opened, and then off either when the zipper is closed or after 15 seconds.

The internal battery of the Sun Trap can also be used as an emergency charger for mobile phones and other wireless devices and the battery can be charged from a standard power supply in the event that one experiences long periods of solar impairment.

Rosanna Kilfidder is a student of Brunel University in the UK, which has a unique program in place aimed at finding and encouraging a new generation of entrepreneurs through its Brunel Enterprise Centre. This is an organisation that’s been set up to help students turn their ideas into commercial endeavours.

Rosanna has her own web site available here featuring the Sun Trap as well as some of her other projects.

[via BBC News]

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POSTED IN: Eco Gadgets, Solar